In carpentry and construction, wall studs are parallel and must be precisely spaced, placed, and secured to a base plate or top plate when building a frame for a wall. Typically, wall studs, base plates and top plates are made from lengths of 2×4 dimensional lumber, although they may be formed of bent sheet metal.
In wall frame construction known to those of skill in the art, it is often required for the studs to be spaced 16 inches on center. That is, the center of each stud is positioned 16 inches from the center of the next stud on either the base plate or the top plate. In some applications, however, construction procedures may deviate from this standard, e.g., 24 inches on center.
When securing studs to the base plates and top plates, those of skill in the art often use, for example, nails, to toenail the stud into the base plates and top plates. Toenailing is driving a nail at an angle through a piece of lumber to join to an adjacent piece. Those of skill in the art will understand that toenailing creates a strong joint between a stud and a base plate or top plate.
When a carpenter builds a wall frame he starts with a base plate and top plate secured in place. He must then precisely measure and mark the position of each stud before placing and securing the stud to either the base plate or the top plate. Often a carpenter will require an aide to hold the stud in place while the carpenter secures the stud to the base plate or top plate.
However, it would be desirable if there were a tool or apparatus that would enable a carpenter to space, place, and secure a stud to a base plate or top plate without separately measuring the distance from one stud to the next. Preferably, such a tool or apparatus would enable a carpenter to toenail the stud to the base plate or top plate while ensuring that the stud was perpendicularly oriented to the base plate or top plate.